Review: South Park – Season 15, Episode 7 ‘You’re Getting Old’

In this episode of South Park, Stan gets a ‘Tween Wave’ CD as a birthday gift. His mother says he can’t listen to it, and takes the CD away from him. When Stan’s dad Randy approaches his wife about it, he decides to take the kids’ side, and jumps on the ‘Tween Wave’ bandwagon.

I love the beginning of this episode for so many reasons, not the least of which being that this situation happened to me as a pre-teen. My mom took an Eminem CD away from my older sister that she and I listened to. My dad immediately took our side, and defended our right to listen to whatever music we want. It was hilarious.

The episode took an amazing turn when Stan visited the doctor, only to find out he has a condition called “being a cynical asshole”. The doctor said that as we grow older, our tastes in everything change, and things that used to sound great begin sounding like shit. Conversely, the things that used to look and sound like shit supposedly begin to seem less like shit. The doctor then tells Stan that his wires somehow got crossed and everything looks and sounds like shit. Then, I got to hear an AMAZING impression of Bob Dylan. Classic.

"Look at these 2 pictures. One of them is an ad for Kevin James' new movie THE ZOOKEEPER. And the other is a turd in a microwave. Which one is the ad for the ZOOKEEPER?"

Stan’s dad takes on an angsty teen persona, and forms a Tween Wave act called “Steamy Ray Vaughn”, with a special guest appearance by “Steamy Nicks”.

Because Stan is so pessemistic, he begins alienating everyone around him, including his own friends, who fake being sick to get out of hanging out with him. Stan even says that LA Noire is shit. *tisk tisk*

When Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman go to the movies, it is the last straw, and the boys can’t take Stan’s cynicism anymore.

"This Summer, the President of the United States of America is a Duck!"

The best quote of the show was when Stan’s dad admits that he has been unhappy for a while. “Every week it’s kind of the same story in a different way, but it just keeps getting more and more ridiculous”. Priceless.

The best part is the third background story, and the 2 old men who are stealing Randy's underwear. No, we are not going to explain why.

The episode ends with a very sad separation of Stan’s parents. This part, as very few other episodes have done, made me sad. Stan continues seeing everything like shit, and Stan’s mom moves out.

Especially with the amount of turds I saw during this episode, I was not expecting to have my heartstrings tugged at so hard. Seeing how I am a girl, and like those sorts of things, I would give it a 4 out of 5. Fantastically written, great metaphors, but far too many poop noises.

Erm, sorry but you sound like an idiot. Did you totally miss the metaphors? I’m a girl too and a huge South Park Fan and found the episode almost disturbing. It all stands for the fact that they are becoming bored of doing the same “ridiculous” things over and over again and want to concentrate on other creations. Hence the “Every week it’s kind of the same story in a different way, but it just keeps getting more and more ridiculous” which isn’t “priceless” as you say, it stands for the fact that this is probably going to be the last season, your upbeat naivety almost annoys me. I can be the first to say that they’ve lost their touch this season, it hasn’t been funny, full of toilet humour so that they’ve almost turned into Terrence and Phillip, and the metaphors are so blindingly obvious and just aren’t subtle and funny. But this last episode shocked me, you can tell they’ve lost interest, but it’s difficult to face the reality that the makers of the programme i love are getting bored of it all, hence the title “You’re getting old”.

You are totally right, South Park is not the same anymore and this will likely be the last of the show. Stupid people only see the direct jokes of the show and fail to see the really funny story of the whole thing which used to be South Park, most likely theese people think Family guy is a brilliant show.

Since Matt and Trey don’t make in my opinion good shows anymore I see no problem with this being the last episode. However, I hoped they would finnish with a movie.

I think people are missing a lot here on this board and others. This episode: tone and ending, totally unique among 15 seasons leaving me to ponder whether the show is done.

For readers criticizing this season:
The Crack Baby League clairvoyantly foreshadowed a huge NCAA crisis and resignation of Ohio coach.
The CentiPad is based on an actual horror film released last year.
Tooth Decay is code for UBL
ETC………
These guys are the comic geniuses of our time without peers.
Reading IMDB and other boards it’s clear that viewers don’t have any idea what they’re watching. Most people deserve Futurama I guess.

If you read the other reviews, we quite clearly point out those facts. But just because it’s based on something doesn’t make it good. The premier for example – I’ve seen Human Centipede (Which was 09′, not last year) and that episode still sucked.

I agree with Dr Kronner. And actually, if anything, i think this series, all they’ve done is rip on the media but more obviously, it’s the other episodes which show the genius (Super Adventure Club, etc.) So really, i think you’re missing the point. Also i wasn’t impressed with Human Centipad.

The creators of SP are gettong bored of doin’ the show. That’s the key message.
For me southpark it’s like heroin. It was so good in the beggining, but as much episodes i watch, i realise they’re not funny and great as in the past. But, beein’ like heroin, i can’t stop watching it and hopeing it’ll be awesome again. And the supradose shall come when the show will finally end.
P.S. I don’t do drugs :P

i agree, but this proves that show will get better not worse. they have acknowledged the repetiveness of the show and the fact their bored with that but this last episode has saw a massive shake up, stan’s parents have broken up, stan has been disconnected with his friends and kyle and carterman are best friends. the show will go back to normal continue for another 2 seasons (as contracted) possibly more but i think this was matt and treys way of saying that they are still commited to southpark and want to make it better.

Well, I’m a big fan of South Park… I’ve been quite addicted to it, and, as many people, I ‘ve watched each and every episodes several times.. I’ve even kinda learned English through this show… This show is the almost only one to have succeed in making me laugh to tears, and I owe it a lot of really good times… But when I compare the three last seasons to what Matt and Trey did before, I feel depressed… It took some time for me to face it, but the show is running out of freshness; it’s lost its pep and its youthful wit. The creators of SP have already said all they had to, and maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if this season were the last one…
However, in my opinion, this whole episode was pretty funny and perceptive; and its ending, extremely unusual and mysterious.. For me, this has been by far the best episode of the year so far… All I wish is, that the few episodes to come will be “hell of funny”, in order to finish this masterpiece of humour, which SP has been, in an apotheosis!

I agree with anon. Emotional doesn’t even begin to truly describe what its going to be like without another season. But I do work for DISH Network and got setup with one of their Sling Loaded VIP 922 receivers. My DVR can hold about 500 hours and it can connect with an external hard drive so I have twice the memory. Looks like that’s all I’ll have to keep my South Park memories.

fuck you guys south park is not coming to an end if they were that desperate to end the show they would have done it years ago thats my opinion parker and stones contracts arent up after the 7 episodes left

To begin with I thought the episode ‘you’re getting old’ was very disappointing. This is because when I watch south park I believe it to be a comedy show which create unbelievable experiences, not ones I can to relate to such as growing up I want it to be able to watch it and believe that it is endless and for the characters to have an unaged naivety about them it allows us as the audience to suspend our disbelief and go where ever the creators of south park put us with ageing the characters it brings us to life and I for a fact am very disappointed with the new season as they are relating it to the real world far too much. Why make it so that the characters are ageing it’s ridiculous.

It is obvious what this episode was. Nothing else than a statement that southpark has turned “shitty”, and they can’t keep doing the ridiculous thing every week anymore. Tween music was just symboling south park. The old people thing its shit, and the young ones will start thinking the same too.

Most likely, the show will continue after they sell the rights to it and end up being completly destroyed by either fox or dysney. This reminds me of the simpsons movie using the last of there jokes and then commiting suicide shortly after the new season starts. I hope for a movie to make up for the lack of new and exciting adventures in south park.

If they could bring back super adventure club and combine it with towlie and mr hanky, I could die happy. We miss the subtle jokes that as kids we only picked up on a few times, so when we rewatch the old ones its still as if its like watching them for the first time all over again. Making fun of the stupid anticks of celeberites and world destruction are whats laughable. Relating to everyday life just makes it easier to ignore the show. Family guy, amerincan dad, and the simpsons hit there stride a long time ago. Being contreversal and clever jokes are two of the main reasons I enjoy the show.

I miss the storys about what we could actualy have imagined ourselevs doing as kids and, having a twist where the worst posible thigs happen was a major hook for me. South park set the bar for all other animated shows by keeping up with current events, celeberity mishapes, and trying to survie life in the fourth grade.

It was going to happen anyways, but all too soon did the episodes start to suck. Characters like towlie, satan, mr. hanky, and tom cruise in the closet old a special place in my heart. I want to see a major come back episode were the plot reflects what is going on in the world but were south park interacts with the old belifes on life sucking for them and somehow learing a leason on how to deal with it. What happened to the classic teachings of south park? Were is the horiably missplaced love from cartmans mom. They acted like adults and got away with some of there actions but still made it seem childish. Please “creators”, we need this one show to still be just as great as it has been in the past. Without south park, what else would we watch when every new show just twists the preivious version.

@ chris, you think simpsons used the last of their jokes on the film?? The film wasn’t funny at all and simpsons stopped being funny years before the movie. It should have stopped after season 9 or 10…..

I don’t think it’s just as simple as them getting bored, although earlier events might have led to it. Every thing started going downhill when they were heavily censored at the end of the last season I think on that Mohammed episode. The one that was ridiculously censored (at least here – don’t know about others) – ever since then looks like they had some stand off with Fox and it’s just been going downhill since then.
I’d be very sad if it goes!!!

Personally, everyone griping for the old days of southpark is so strange to me. When the show first started, it actually was pretty stupid (i.e. 15 years ago when trey and matt began) and slowly over many seasons they built their storylines and improved their social commentaries to the point when they were winning emmys. Now, it’s not south park that’s too old: pop culture updates continuously, and South Park will always find new material. It’s the fans who are too old. You little f**kers have outgrown South Park. You’re too old. Deal with it.

Maria has hit the nail on the head. That is the point of the episode, we are Stan, who has outgrown South Park, or in his case ‘tween wave’ music. The problem is the creators are still churning out quality comedy and social/political satire but our jaded pallets lead us to exchange remarks like “SP isn’t as good anymore” or “this latest season has been really shitty”. The episode is trying to tell us that we are the cynical ones who don’t appreciate good shows anymore.

This episode. Probably one of the greatest matt and trey have done, it was just as cynical and as controversial as the rest but with progressive plot instead of resetting, and maybe this is the beginning of then end, but it isnt the end. Hell people ahve been saying “south park isn’t a show I relate too” well hell no not the show, but the caracters you can relate too some what, stan is the kid growing up and having the common sense, kyle is the kid who has the odd heritage and struggles to cope with it, Eric is the kid in your class that was the ass hole and kenny is the poor kid you befriended cuz he was actually cool. Stans dad is the dad everyone wishes they had and Cartmans mum is the mum everyone whispered rumours about around school like “stiflers mum for example”. This episode drew everything into perspective and I believe that this episode is ending the way it did to make the point that in the end, everything does change but that doesnt mean its for the worst.

I’m expecting great things from the rest of this series and I’m not counting South Park out yet.

Ok people you know every one is right, south park is going to finish but not now, i dont understand even tho we are all such huge fans and been with the program since 93, all things must come to an end sadly to say we just have to face it and i know that their are people out their who will disagree but if it continues its just going to loose respect but for ever south park will always remain in our hearts <3

Eg: I Loved toy story as a kid and when the 3rd came out it killed but its not the fact of it was sad it was that i couldn't let go of it cause it kept me entertained as a child and i bet that every one who grew up (mainly speaking to gen Y) would agree that the media is running short of ides, but it dosnt mean that every one should be upset we should thank them for how long they can keep it running but we also dont want to keep things for too long :)

I’m an old fan of the show. i watched it as a kid and now as an adult. i have to say that ever since that mysterion rises episode, i have not thought it was nearly as good. i didnt out grow the show, i still go back and watch all the episodes on netflix. its just that this season and part of last season, and especially this episode they just keep reusing the same joke. i mean there was about 3 actual jokes in this whole episode that kept getting used over and over. thats not funny, and the rednecks actually explaining the name pun, made me cringe. I really hope they do better this season, i did really like the T.M.I. episode.

wtf is wrong with all u guys here??? i think SP is geting better with every season… and yes its every week the same thing, but thats what i expect from that show!!! every week the same fucking hilarious jokes :P i have to say it again… i just love the show and i think that the new eps are the best they made so far…
maybe all u guys just getin old???

south park has turned to shit — just saw season 15 – ep 6 ziplining, really was the most unfunniest thing ive ever seen , they should just quit mid season if this is the kind of shit expected for the rest of reason. Creators of south park : Pease try to end on a high — with storylines based on cartman, instead of the crap you are doing now.

i dont buy the whole ‘you’ve outgrown southpark’ , its bullsh*t . Reason being i only started watching south park 6 months ago , i can honestly say it is getting more and more shitty and unfunny as we venture into end of season 15. There is ‘funny’ and thers ‘not funny’ , people dont age in 6 months?! Bring back the cartman centric episodes.

People do age in Six months….. God some people are sooo stupid… And I would say Lying..There’s no way you started watching a shitty show and kept watching it for 6 months…. Or maybe your just as bored as you are stupid…… South Park is getting old and sure the end will come one day but for now just watch the shit and laugh. Everyone here who has commented on Episode 7 being shitty has made me lmao. YOU ARE THE CYNICAL ASSHOLES IN THE PLOT!!!!!